Superman, Batman, Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America; these are all very familiar names to our generation. They are what we perceive as heroes. When we think about heroes, we don’t think about their mortality, or how they have flaws. We see heroes as being invincible, indestructible, immortal, even. What if I say the name Beowulf? Most kids of our generation have seldom heard of this hero, or know why he is significant. Beowulf is the story of a hero with his own mortal flaws. He is a symbol of courage, and honor, in a time when violence was predominant. He would not be seen as a typical hero in our modern society.
Throughout the epic of Beowulf, the hero displays qualities that are often forgotten in our current generation. Early on in the story, Beowulf confronts the first antagonist, Grendel. Grendel is pure evil, and has killed many innocent people. Despite this, Beowulf sees that the monster bore no armor nor did he wield any weapons, so he drops his armor and sword and fights the monster with his bare hands. Now let’s jump ahead to present day. Spider-Man, for example, catches bank robbers, vandals, and such. Does Spider-Man fight these offenders without the use of his powers? Would we ever find Spider-Man hesitating to use his powers on normal people for the sake of retaining his sense of honor? That would be highly unlikely, because we are taught that heroes are above us. They are extraordinary, and prevail, despite all odds. Simply put, heroes aren’t supposed to fall. Let’s jump back to Beowulf. Very late in his life, he is crowned a king. He’s old, washed-up,
